


Ancient Tradition

by Xeiana



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Braids, First Kiss, Gilgamesh is surprisingly good with children, Healer Ardyn Izunia, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22574932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xeiana/pseuds/Xeiana
Summary: Ardyn knew Gilgamesh prided himself on his long hair, but there was always something new he would learn about him. Today just so happened to be about not only his hair, but braids.
Relationships: Gilgamesh (Final Fantasy XV)/Ardyn Izunia
Kudos: 20





	Ancient Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was done for the Gilgardyn fanzine Gilded Affections. It was originally an idea I had that would be quite longer but it was perfect for what I had in mind. I hope you enjoy one of my favorite rare pairs!

A child’s laughter was one of the purest sounds one could experience. Just the mere thought of being able to hear it in the distance never failed to bring a smile to the healer’s tired face. After a long day of traveling, and an exhausting few hours of healing those afflicted with the scourge, Ardyn could never resist bending down and playing with the children and partaking in whatever they desired. Whether it was petting a kitten or puppy they held in their arms or listening to their wild tales, their bright eyes and cheerful demeanor always warmed his heart and reminded him why he traveled so long and hard - to protect the current generation and allow the younger ones to look forward to a bright new day untainted by fear and darkness.

Even now as the children gathered, their gazes were directed towards another, something that surprised him yet the scene unfolding before him was a precious thing. This time their attention had fallen onto the most unlikely of people: his shield.

It truly was an astonishing sight - his tall muscled bodyguard surrounded by a sea of children who were ogling at something on his hair. Ardyn peered closer, brushing off a stray bit of dirt from his white robe. What were they saying? Walking closer, his curiosity getting the better of him, he could hear the excited children talking about his hair.

“Sir, your hair is so pretty!”

“Why is it white? I thought only old people have white hair?”

“I heard you can get white hair if you run into a daemon at the stroke of midnight!”

“H-hey that’s scary! And not true, his hair is silver!”

The prince paused, folding his arms across his chest as a fond smile tickled his lips. Children were always speaking what was on their mind yet they all were so sweet. The normally stoic bodyguard looked clearly out of his element. He shifted this way and that, having shed most of his armor into the armiger left with just his tunic and a mere cloak to offer him protection. It had taken a lot of convincing for Gilgamesh to finally shed his beloved armor as townsfolk had always been frightened stiff when their healer had been accompanied by a brutishly tall, fully armored warrior who looked more daemon than protector.

“Can I braid your hair?”

At that simple question, the children fell silent, all eyes falling onto a blonde child with bright eyes that reminded him all too well of his dearest friend Aera. She stared up with a toothy smile as if there was no way the tall man with lavender eyes could ever refuse her. Ardyn stared at Gilgamesh. He wouldn’t dare refuse her request, right? Even the townsfolk who had been shopping in the market nearby had stopped what they were doing, waiting for the answer. It seemed as if everyone was holding their collective breath. But this was Gilgamesh, the man who would never let anyone else touch his hair; he prized it so much it left Ardyn with questions as to why. The shield would politely decline her and -

“Very well little one.” The deep voice, which never failed to send shivers down his spine every time he talked to him, was soft and incredibly gentle. Ardyn couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping open in shock, but managed to wrestle with his voice to not squeak out ‘WHAT!?’. Before anyone could glance his way, the prince quickly composed himself but his eyes were still wide. As the child danced and squealed in delight, Gilgamesh’s eyes fluttered up to meet his gaze.

Ardyn would be lying if he said he didn’t shiver as their eyes met. His shield looked amused at his expression and nodded his head to a lone tree away from the busyness of the market street. It would allow them some room for the child to braid his hair. The healer fought to keep his jealousy in check. He had dreams of being able to touch his shield’s hair, as strange as that was. From the moment he had laid his eyes on the young warrior while running into a daemon outside a scourge-plagued town at night, his hair had been the first thing he had noticed, followed by his pale lavender eyes, of course.

Those same eyes were patiently waiting for a response. A response? For what? Ardyn blinked, realizing he had blanked out for a split second. Oh, the tree! He nodded, walking towards the tree and was surprised when not just the girl followed, but half of the children. A few were surrounding him now, gripping his robes with smiles as they chattered to him, wanting to know where he had been. The adults in the market were still staring at his tall shield as he followed like a shadow behind him. He spared a glance behind him and his heart nearly fluttered out of his chest.

The sweet blue-eyed girl had to stand on her tippy toes in order to slip her hand into Gilgamesh’s. In response to this, Ardyn watched with soft eyes as he slouched over so she didn’t have to hurt her feet. Honestly, it never struck Ardyn that Gilgamesh could be good with kids. Then it hit him. He’d never seen him interact with any younger children, just brash teenagers who came for recruitment testing prior to joining the next year, and older men, and women, who were soldiers. All of the times that they were in villages, he’d either been in full armor, or enough of it that they hid from him.

It was quite sad; he would have to make sure this happened more often. Maybe when Aera came to visit again they can both travel to the main village near the waterfalls. They were always plagued with starscourge because of a nearby daemon nest. They could fell three birds with one stone – clear out the nest once and for all, heal those afflicted, and since Aera always attracted children, he can watch them interact with Gilgamesh more.

The healer mentally nodded with a grin, settling down under the massive tree. As the children settled around him to listen to his tales, he found his eyes briefly drifting over to where the child was attempting to braid his hair. Although he couldn’t hear what Gilgamesh said, he noticed how he gently move her hands from the right side of his head to the back. The child gleefully cheered and set upon braiding his hair. When the child began producing tiny glass beads and a long strip of red ribbon, Ardyn made sure to let this be a surprise for his shield to discover later. Biting back a chuckle, he turned his full attention to his enraptured audience, expanding upon his adventures with a tease of magic here and there, if just to see their awe-filled eyes light up with fascination.

“But how did you escape from that daemon?” One of the older children gasped. Ardyn held up a finger to his lips and winked. He could see one of the parents calling out to the children that it was time for supper.

“In due time, I will continue the story tomorrow morning.” There was a collective groan as the children pouted, but obediently they bid him goodnight and raced off to their respective houses. It was quiet when the children left. He wouldn’t be healing until night when the scourge was the strongest in those affected. Ardyn didn’t fear there being anything to worry about. Daemons would keep away with the strategically placed river and bonfires and if anything did happen, well... His eyes darted over to the man next to him. Gilgamesh was always at his side.

As much as Ardyn tried these last couple months, he just couldn’t help how his eyes wandered over the darker-skinned warrior. Now was no exception, having to quickly look away at a few butterflies that danced amongst the flowers surrounding. One fluttered by his nose and the healer froze, not wanting to startle the blue insect. As if on a mission, the small butterfly drifted along, only to land on top of Gilgamesh’s head, a tiny blue winged crown.

It was a funny sight, seeing a muscled warrior with a cute butterfly adorning his head. Gilgamesh sensed his eyes on him and simply glanced over curiously before something blue attracted his attention. The butterfly slowly made its way down his forehead and onto his nose, wings spread and flapping lazily to keep itself upright. Ardyn’s eyes softened, watching as his shield sat as still as a statue, unwilling to disturb such a delicate creature. It was…. endearing.

“What is it?” Gilgamesh’s normally rough deep voice was gentle and dare-he-say smooth as honey. Oh, that was it, Aera’s poetic nature was beginning to rub off on him! When Gilgamesh spoke his name at his lack of answer, the butterfly took its leave, flying over Ardyn’s head and off into the trees.

An image flashed through his mind and Ardyn thanked the Astrals above that he was not standing; his knees would have given out on him for sure. It was of him, shielded from the outside world by a silver curtain that flowed over him and his shoulders, unbound by small leather ties or braids. And a soft pair of lips pressed against his own that made him forget everything, the world meaning nothing in this man’s embrace.

“W-well…” To avoid revealing the fact that his cheeks were getting redder than the apples back at his estate, Ardyn quickly looked off into the distance and scratched at his stubble.

“You’ve never let anyone touch your hair before. Anyone who dared during your training sessions ended up walking away with a sore wrist. Even Aera couldn’t convince you to let her braid it. You’ve never revealed the reason why. I’m just curious is all.” The prince was surprised at how casual his voice was despite how fast his heart fluttered in his chest, a tiny bird begging to escape. There was a curious ‘hmm’ sound next to him and Ardyn’s eyes were drawn to Gilgamesh like a magnet. It was hard for others to read the giant man, but after studying him from afar and during their many outings together, he had learned to read his eyes and the slightest change of his expression. But now?

Now Gilgamesh seemed to be an enigma, only a slight flicker of sadness darting through those eyes before they became unreadable. Wait, sadness? He hadn’t upset Gilgamesh, had he? Before he could ask, Gilgamesh looked up towards the skies, where fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the blue expanse.

“… Back in my homeland, our silver hair was highly prized by each individual.” Gilgamesh glanced at Ardyn, nearly amused at his wide eyes. Gilgamesh was always known to be of little words, a silent giant. “Yes, my kin all had silver hair. Maybe one day I’ll tell you why… We only trim our hair, never cut it.” Ardyn couldn’t help his curiosity, cutting off his shield as he leaned forward in a childlike display, hands tightly holding onto his ankles with shining eyes.

“Why?” That simple question caused Gilgamesh to pause, staring at him with those now unreadable eyes. It seemed as if he was considering his words before he spoke. A fleeting pang of sadness drifted through his heart. It was a silly thought, the fact that his shield was hiding things but he understood. The past could contain the good and the bad, and it only served to solidify his resolve to learn more about him, where he came from.

“To have one’s hair shorn is to be exiled and considered dead by your kin. It’s the ultimate punishment.” The prince stared up at him, eyes widening. Oh… To be turned away from your homeland and all that you know and love. It would be akin to having your heart ripped out, trod on, then tossed into the Tidemother’s surging waves.

“Gil, I am sorry if I made you remember anything -” His lips paused in the middle of forming his next words when Gilgamesh shook his head. All breath left him upon seeing the warmth return to Gilgamesh’s eyes at the mention of his little nickname. He wasn’t angry or sad?

“It feels good to share about my origins, even if it’s only a small amount,” Gilgamesh then paused, considering something before he continued. “A braid on the right side of one’s head is considered a marriage proposal.” Suddenly it clicked on this newfound tidbit of information. That was why the shield gently convinced the child to braid the back of his head instead.

Marriage. Six above, everyone expected him to marry Aera, his best friend, yet the object of his affections was sitting before him. How long could he hide these growing feelings for Gilgamesh? It was only a matter of time until the stolen glances were noticed.

It would be a risky move. Afterall the healer wasn’t sure if his shield was one of the rare few who would rather lie with men than a woman. There was a chance, albeit small, that the other could react in disgust but in his heart, well there was a reason why he followed that instinct. It saved him, and others, many a time. A sudden jolt to his forearm caused Ardyn to flinched slightly, rubbing at the afflicted area. Well, perhaps his patron astral of Ramuh was giving him a sign that he should stop fearing the future. Steeling his resolve, Ardyn made his choice.

“Gilgamesh?” There was a rustle of cloth as Ardyn moved to close the distance between them. Before the shield could respond, Ardyn’s lips brushed against Gilgamesh’s, only lasting a second before his heart fluttered in nervous panic. He drew back, eyes staring up at the warrior before him. Honestly, he didn’t know what he expected – rejection, anger, disgust? It was silent for a long time, Gilgamesh sitting like a silent giant before those wide eyes softened, a hand moving to brush against his jawline in an intimate, almost delicate manner. Neither of them could find their voices, instead communicating their thoughts through their eyes. Trembling, Ardyn’s hand raised to touch Gilgamesh’s hand before gripping it as if it was his lifeline to this world. He had been a fool to doubt that this act could turn his most trusted bodyguard from his side.

Maybe there could be more for them in these coming days.

“Come, the sun sets and those stricken by the scourge need your aid.” His words were like petals dancing through the wind. Ardyn would move, but for now, he stared up into Gilgamesh’s eyes, committing the memory to heart of their lips meeting. Tomorrow a new dawn with rise, and with it, the promise that Gilgamesh will still be there.


End file.
